Although the idea behind Reverse Osmosis has been known for nearly 100 years, the practical application is only a recent development. In 1962 the U.S. Government funded the first RO plant which processed 1000 gallons of clean water per day. Today, there are more than 3000 large RO treatment plants, each producing more than a million gallons of drinking water each day.

What is Reverse Osmosis?

Reverse Osmosis is the reversal of the natural flow of osmosis. In a water purification system, the goal is not to dilute the salt solution, but to separate the pure water from the salt and other contaminants. When the natural osmotic flow is reversed, water from the salt solution is forced through the membrane in the opposite direction by application of pressure, thus creating the term Reverse Osmosis. Through this process, we are able to produce pure water by screening out the salts and other contaminants.

Proven Method of Purification

The membrane consists of several thin layers or sheets of film that are bonded together and rolled in a spiral configuration around a plastic tube. This is also known as a thin film composite or TFC membrane. The material of the membrane is semi-permeable; it allows water molecules to pass through while acting as a barrier to dissolved solids (i.e. minerals and chemical contaminants). The pores of the membrane are too small for the contaminants in water to pass through them. A high quality membrane is a much better strainer than a simple filter which attaches to your faucet or sits upon your counter-top.